Jumunjin

When the boats come in at dawn, the market by the harbour is the first thing to wake up. Jumunjin is a town at the northern edge of Gangneung and one of the main fishing ports on Korea's east coast, landing squid, pollack, sand lance and herring from the sea where warm and cold currents meet. Its market, lighthouse, beaches and drama and album locations lie within a few kilometres of one another, which makes for an easy day on foot or by local bus.

History: from Sinri-myeon to Jumunjin

In the late Joseon period the area was known as Sinri-myeon. It was renamed Jumunjin-myeon in 1937 and became a town (eup) in 1940. Jumunjin Market beside the port grew up from 1936 and today combines a general market, a dried-fish market and raw-fish halls, making it one of the largest fish markets on the east coast. Sources differ on the size of the fishing fleet: about 350 or 394 boats.

What to see

• Jumunjin Port and fish market: choose your fish straight off the boats and have it prepared as hoe (sliced raw fish) at a restaurant nearby. The star catch changes with the seasons: saury in spring, squid in summer, puffer fish and sand lance in autumn and winter.
• Jumunjin Lighthouse: built on 20 March 1918 as the first lighthouse in Gangwon Province. The white brick tower is 3 m wide and 10 m tall; it was damaged in the Korean War and restored in 1951. It still flashes every 15 seconds and is the oldest lighthouse in the province.
• Jumunjin Beach: about 700 m of sand with shallow, clear water and a pine grove and campsite behind it.
• BTS bus stop at Hyangho Beach: on Hyangho Beach, which runs on from Jumunjin Beach, the bus shelter used for a 2017 BTS album cover has been rebuilt as a photo spot. The original was put up for the shoot and later taken down.
• Sodol Adeul Rock Park: north of the lighthouse, rocks shaped by wind and waves line the shore, with a short path looping over them.

Good to know

South of the port, the breakwater at Yeongjin Beach in neighbouring Yeongok-myeon is where Eun-tak blows out her birthday candles alone and first meets Kim Shin in the drama "Goblin". Fans still come with bunches of buckwheat flowers to recreate the scene.

Nearby

• Ojukheon: the Joseon-era house where Shin Saimdang and her son, the scholar Yi I, were born, named after the black bamboo that grows there. It is about 20 minutes south of Jumunjin by car.
• Hyangho Lake: the lagoon behind Jumunjin Beach, popular with freshwater anglers and easy to combine with Hyangho Beach.
• Yeongjin Beach: a small fishing-village beach north of the Yeongokcheon estuary with the "Goblin" breakwater, a short trip along the coast from Jumunjin Port.

Tripto tips

• Planning the day: start at the market in the morning, walk to the lighthouse and Sodol Adeul Rock Park, then move on to Hyangho and Yeongjin beaches in the afternoon. 3–4 hours covers the highlights.
• Lighthouse hours: the outdoor area is open 09:00–18:00 and the indoor rooms 09:00–17:00; entry and parking are listed as free. There is no access at night.
• Photo queues: on weekend afternoons there are queues at the BTS bus stop and the "Goblin" breakwater. Early morning is much quieter.